National Restaurant Association adds a new top lobbyist

Published: May 15, 2019

National Restaurant Association adds a new top lobbyist

With David Beavers and Daniel Lippman

NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION ADDS A NEW TOP LOBBYIST: The National Restaurant Association has hired Sean Kennedy as its top lobbyist. He’ll be executive vice president of public affairs, leading the trade group’s federal, state and local lobbying efforts, as well as grassroots work and advocacy communications. He was previously senior vice president for global government affairs at Airlines for America and before that worked in the White House legislative affairs office during the Obama administration and as chief of staff to former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).

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WHAT MERCURY IS DOING FOR LIBYA: Mercury already appears to be getting results for Libya’s United Nations-backed government, which hired the lobbying and communications firm last month on a contract worth $150,000 a month. Beth DeFalco, a managing director at Mercury, pitched an op-ed by Fayez al-Sarraj, the Libyan prime minister, to an unspecified news outlet, according to a recent Justice Department filing. The op-ed appeared last week in an edited form in The Wall Street Journal.

— In the op-ed, al-Sarraj appealed to President Donald Trump — who last month unexpectedly reversed American policy in Libya by endorsing Khalifa Haftar, the militia leader who’s fighting against al-Sarraj’s government — for help. “To prevent a bloody civil war with global implications, Libya needs the U.S. to help stop other countries from meddling in our affairs,” he wrote. “I remain hopeful that President Trump will succeed where previous presidents have failed, and that he will use his power to create peace, stability, and security in Libya and the wider region.”

Good afternoon, and welcome to PI. Tips: tmeyer@politico.com. You can also follow me on Twitter: @theodoricmeyer.

NEW BUSINESS: The debate over drug pricing continues to drive business on K Street on both sides of the issue. Pfizer has hired Charlene MacDonald of FTI Consulting to lobby on drug pricing and AARP has hired Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. March for Our Lives Action Fund, meanwhile, the nonprofit started by students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., to push for stricter gun laws, has brought on Heather McHugh of Resolution Public Affairs as its first outside lobbyist. The group also has two in-house lobbyists, according to disclosure filings.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS BERNHARDT PUT ‘A GIANT THUMB ON THE SCALE’: “Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) accused Interior Secretary David Bernhardt today of "putting a giant thumb on the scale" to help his former lobbying clients after he joined the department,” POLITICO’s Ben Lefebvre reports. “At a House Natural Resources Committee hearing, Huffman cited Bernhardt's work at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for Westlands Water District, a group representing California farms, and he said while serving as deputy secretary, Bernhardt had weighed in on implementation of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act in a manner that benefited that group.” Full story.

WHO’S BEHIND ADS TYING WARREN TO A CASINO PROJECT: The Daily Beast’s Jackie Kucinich and Lachlan Markay figured out who’s behind online ads that attempt to tie Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to legislation that would allow a Native American tribe to open a Massachusetts casino. “The Coalition to Restore American Values has been running ads since November 2018 that, among other things, feature Warren in an Indian headdress and warn against her ‘casino plan.’ The group was registered to David R. Langdon, a long time culture warrior, in July 2018, according to Ohio state records.” The bill has attracted attention since Trump tweeted about it last week. Full story.

FLYING IN: Cable industry executives are on the Hill today for their second day of congressional meetings as part of an NCTA — The Internet & Television Association fly-in. They’ll discuss broadband, spectrum and a federal online privacy framework, among other issues. At a reception the trade group hosted last night were Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Tom O'Halleran (R-Ariz.), among others.

— The Brewers Association will be on the Hill on Thursday to press for passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act. They’ll meet with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), among others. And NATSO, a trade group representing travel plaza and truck stop owners and operators, is hosting a fly-in today to push for infrastructure spending. The trade group is meeting with Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) and John Shimkus (R-Ill.), among others.

ANNALS OF MAR-A-LAGO: After prominent charities canceled their galas at Mar-a-Lago in 2017, the void “was quickly filled by newly formed groups representing Trump’s base, coveted conservative voting blocks and Republican fundraisers — most that had never before held a charity gala, much less one at Mar-a-Lago — one of Palm Beach’s costliest and most prestigious venues,” The Palm Beach Post’s Christine Stapleton reports. “‘It changed the whole nature of the club,’ said [Laurence] Leamer, a longtime Palm Beach resident whose frequent visits to Mar-a-Lago over the years and tales from insider sources are chronicled in his recently released book “Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump’s Presidential Palace.’” Full story.

HOW FORMER PELOSI AIDES ON K STREET ARE FARING: The Hill’s Alex Gangitano takes a look at some of the former staffers for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who are now on K Street. (Marianne LeVine and I surveyed the field of Pelosi aides turned lobbyists ourselves late last year.) Full story.

JOBS REPORT

— The Corn Refiners Association has hired Steve Gardner as chief operating officer and Robin Bowen as vice president of external affairs. Gardner most recently was chief operating officer for Crosby-Volmer International Communications; Bowen most recently was director of federal outreach at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.

— Burson Cohn & Wolfe has hired Licy Do Canto as executive vice president and managing director, working with the firm’s health care clients. He previously had his own firm, the Do Canto Group.

— Chip Slaven has joined the National School Boards Association as chief advocacy officer. He was previously counsel to the president and senior advocacy adviser at the Alliance for Excellent Education.

SPOTTED: Lunching together at Punjab Grill on Tuesday, according to a PI tipster: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Luisa Blue of the Service Employees International Union, Vinoda Basnayake of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Priya Dayananda of KPMG and Christine Chen of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote.